Human Arthur Kim (The Fool) - Level 4 Power Peak: undefined. Archetype: not identified. Specialization: not identified. Strength: 2 / Endurance: 3 / Speed: 3 / Energy: 1 / Will: 2 Points for Improvement: 0 Seal: none Totem: none Wyrd: 0 Points: 2 Perks: none Skills: none Abilities: [TIES THAT BIND] Cards unlocked: 3/22 I became stronger, but on the other hand, it seems like I didn’t. If the first increase in speed was very noticeable, almost nothing changed after next two upgrades. My movements became smoother and lighter. Perhaps that's it. Endurance also works in mysterious ways. I felt healthier and stronger. I could withstand the blows of enemies much better. The other day, predatory sheep rammed into me, and only left some bruises. But when I went on a check-up and donated blood, the nurse inserted a catheter without any problems. Shouldn't that stat protect me from any damage? Or does it act selectively? ... I caught up with it in a small alley between the construction site and the old dormitory building. There is a detention center nearby, so the place is mostly deserted at night. Nobody should interfere. It looked like it forgot what time of the year it is. The man was dressed in a thick jacket with fur, an iron box for winter fishing thrown over his shoulder. Fishing on ice is pretty big in Eastward. A lot of those guys in the bay from December to March. They ride the buses, grunt merrily and reek like crazy. Only, it’s early autumn, so no fish for this fella. The man threw back his head, and then vomited a stream of dark rancid blood. It sure didn’t smell anything like fish. While he was vomiting, a black stripe appeared on the man's forehead. The crack grew, sprouting sharp teeth. Rotting innards fell on the ground. The empty shell straightened, moving round black eyes on the stalks, like an ugly snail. Ugh, gross. I almost threw up myself. Hungry Spirit - Level 3 - Undead Some worlds have a karma system. Sinful players, NPC, and manikin can transform into hungry spirits after the True Death. Such a soul is drawn to a living body to possess and satisfy its torturous hunger. This is my life now. By day, I sell drills and nails and explain which tiles are better for an oriental-style bath. By night, jogging along the mountain paths to the very top of the hill, I hunt snarling zombies. “Careful, Arthur. I doubt this spirit likes to wave its fists.” “And what does that mean?” I asked, then instinctively went down. A sparkling ball flew over my head and crashed into the concrete wall. It left a smooth, almost perfect hole. “Oh, I see.” I imagined how a magic projectile blows off my head or makes the same hole in my body. I have a very good imagination in general. Spheres of blue-white flame trembled in his palms. The rotting abomination was ready to fire again. Something told me that my attack would not be successful. Perhaps it was the fact that the mangled corpse swayed from a very light breeze. How am I supposed to hammer it with a hammer, if it’s already flat? “That’s why agents usually form hunting parties.” said the voice. “Great idea! Let's leave this fire-spitting bastard here, and then return with some friends.” One way or another, I had to figure it out right now, while running from cover to cover. The spirit threw fire with both hands. If the monster damages one of the parked cars ... it will be bad, in general. For several reasons. In one dash, I covered the distance between us. It swung open, threw two spheres at once right at my feet. I jumped to the side and fell into the bushes. “Why the fuck it’s so strong?!” “High energy. High Wyrd. Much bigger magical potential. You're not a magician, so you suck in this regard!” “Shit. But we’re still in the game.” Round two! I went around it from the side. The spirit was powerful, but not very clever since it spat out its brain. It was more like some kind of stationary turret reacting to movements. If I get closer before it turns around, I’d be able to do some damage. As I ran past it, yanked the spirit’s twitching eyestalk, which remained in my hand. The monster doubled over, sending its nefarious magic after me. I had to duck very fast and crawl on the ground. “You’re like a newborn deer, Arthur,” an inner voice sneered. “But you must agree, for a tools vendor I fight pretty well.” “Well, the bar is not very high, to begin with.” My strategy worked anyway. The thing was very light, and made from some shriveled fibers, like greasy straw. It was very easy to tear. It took him a little while to straighten up again. I took this opportunity to attack the still-human legs of the spirit. One blow with a hammer was enough, and the rotting knee shattered. The hollow, flat torso fell on its back. With one foot, I stood on the monster's left wrist, with the other in the very center. I put the sledgehammer inside the head so that the spirit wouldn’t flutter too much. Managed to intercept its free hand before the enemy threw the flame. The magical fire passed tangentially, ripping open the sleeve of my jacket. My shoulder went numb. I grabbed this burning paw tearing it away. And then, repeated the procedure. A little more tooling and the hideous monster was finally dusted. Since I closed the breach before catching up with the creature, this was the end of the mission. “You’re getting a hang on it.” said the Fool. “I like to feel useful,” I replied, reading the system messages. “It would be worth visiting the gym. The stats are just the base, you know. You also need to improve skills, Atma control, and your overall physique.” He is right. There’s no harm in extra training. The monsters were stronger with each new quest. Also, I somehow started to grow a belly, so the gym was definitely on the list. A new alert popped up on the map, the exclamation mark flashing bright red. I could feel the tension in my inner companion. “Here we go.”